In July, I wrote about webworms (Hyphantria cunea) on panicle hydrangeas. For the past several weeks , the second generation has been active in my neck of the woods. And boy, are they active! It seems every day they form new webs where none were the previous day. That will continue through October or until the first killing frost. Ugly doesn’t come close to what the plant looks like when these beasties are at work.

I have been roaming around these past few weeks, visiting open gardens throughout my local area. The panicle hydrangeas have been just glorious in every garden I have seen with their undeniably spectacular flowers and form. Not to mention the impressive flowers of oak leaf hydrangeas are showing their magnificent colors as well.

In my April Connecticut garden, the first hydrangeas I'm pruning are the ones that flower on the growth they will put on this year, better known as "new wood." In hydrangea-land, those are hydrangeas arborescens or woodland/smooth hydrangeas like 'Annabelle', or for example any plant that has Incrediball® or Invincibelle® in its name. There are many others. They will all have "arborescens" as the second part of their name. The flowers are round and either white or shades of pink. None are blue and you can't change their color.

Hydrangea paniculatas including 'Limelight' are in full bloom in my part of the U.S. right now. And the reblooming big leaf hydrangeas like Let's Dance® Rhythmic Blue® continue to produce their repeat blooms like the one in this photo . Fortunately, we have had generous unprecedented mid-season rain that has helped to keep all the flowers coming and colorful.

Yes, it's time to prune new wood hydrangeas. Now that it is mid spring and your hydrangeas are dormant or just beginning to leaf out, this is the time to get those clippers out for some of them. When I say some, I mean those that bloom on new wood, the growth they will put on in the current season. In the late fall when they still have their leaves, wait until they are leafless and have gone completely dormant before you cut them. You can also do this pruning in winter when they are fast asleep. It is critical for pruning new wood hydrangeas that you wait until all growth has stopped in the current year. That's because pruning always stimulates a plant. If you prune while there are still leaves on that plant, it will continue to grow and possibly start producing the buds for flowers you want next year. That means in a cold winter climate those flowers might not survive and you will be the one to blame for that. Just wait it out and let the plan...